8/09/2005

Britain to Bakri - No Welcome Mat for You

Sheikh Omar Mohammed Bakri who had fled to Lebanon over the weekend said in an earlier news report that he would be back in Britain in 4-6 weeks. The British response, hell no!!

IMMIGRATION rules will be changed within days to ensure that the extremist Muslim cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed will never be allowed back into Britain. The new “exclusion order” will allow Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, to prevent any attempt by the leader of the al-Muhajiroun group to re-enter Britain after he fled to Lebanon at the weekend.

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, admitted yesterday that he had no power to deal with the cleric, who reportedly described the July 7 bombers as “the fantastic four”. Mr Prescott said: “At the moment he has the right to come in and out. That is the circumstances at present and we have to change situations in this country by law. It’s a democracy, not a dictatorship, for God’s sake.” He made clear his dislike of Sheikh Bakri Mohammed, who claims to have gone to Beirut on a family visit, saying: “I just say, enjoy your holiday — make it a long one.” ...The Syrian-born cleric...“If someone is accusing me of committing a crime I will come back to clear my name,” he told The Times. “I have done nothing wrong. No one can stop me returning to London.”

Whitehall officials believe that they can. Revised immigration rules could be introduced within nine days and do not need parliamentary approval. Mr Clarke will be given new powers to exclude extremists on the grounds that they foster hatred that may lead to intra-community violence and express views conflicting with Britain’s culture of tolerance.London Times